Innehållsförteckning för January 2024 från Sea Angler

We’ve taken a battering in the UK over the last month with countless storms, incessant wind and rainwater making fishing from the shore a real challenge and getting out on a boat nearly impossible. However, despite the conditions it looks like there have been some superb fish being caught up and down the length of the country. It’s no secret that weather patterns play havoc with fishing but just how air pressure, wind and storms affect fish behaviour is less well understood. There are many theories but this month we focus in on how stormy weather and winds impact the behaviour of fish, and the behaviour of anglers. Dr Roger Munro uses his expert research skills to survey anglers and provides a masterclass in understanding weather patters and how they…

“I’m home!” He hung his coat on the hook by the door, dropped his bag at the base of the stairs, to be taken up later, and tromped on into the house. “Anyone here? I said I’m home - ooh!” Immediately his eyes landed upon the sturdy cardboard tube propped up at an angle in the corner of the kitchen. Quickly, he strolled over, plucking a bright green Post-it from the side of the tube: Dad, this came for you earlier before I left for college. Another one?! Love Kate :-D Laying the Post-it aside, he tore at the tape covering the top of the tube and began to yank out the bubble wrap packing from inside, tossing it onto the floor like a child and lifting the new rod…

Michael William George Millman was born on 26th March 1933 in Plymouth the only son of William and Winifred Millman. His school days began at St Boniface School in Plymouth but due to the Second World War he was evacuated to Buckfast Abbey at the tender age of eight. Being one of the youngest pupils at the Abbey he was exempted from some of the classes and he took advantage of the extra time to go fishing with the monks. In 1942 he returned to Plymouth and finished his schooling at Plymouth College. There is a record in his extensive archive that he took his first photograph in 1947. This year was quite a special one for Mike as he had become aware of a very young lady called Valerie…

My one and only encounter with blue whiting, Micromesistius poutassou, was during a long range, multi-day charter fishing trip off the western side of the Isles of Scilly for six gill sharks. I was keen to try some light bottom fishing to add to my personal species tally, using baited feathers. No sooner than I felt the lead touch bottom the rod tip registered a tip rattling bite. A gentle bend as I lifted the blank indicated I had hooked a fish, albeit a small one, but what was it? As I wound it up through the water column my mind was filled with thoughts of Ray’s bream or perhaps a boar fish, possibly even a grenadier? When, finally, we got our first glimpse of the little fish in the…

How to improve your casting skills Length, overall stiffness and action shape how a rod responds to both casting and fishing. There is the fisherman to consider too, for we all differ in height, strength and coordination. No one rod suits everyone, but that said there are plenty of rods that will get us going and provide a great foundation for long term success. Beyond doubt the crucial lesson in the early days is to stay away from high-performance specialist rods, especially those built specifically for tournament work. Avoid joining the hordes of inexperienced fishermen who spend a fortune on a rod they can’t possibly use and is useless for fishing anyway. ACTION Length and stiffness are important issues, but picking up from last time let’s focus on rod action.…

A few years before the start of the new millennium a ‘new’ technique burst onto the global angling scene and very quickly established itself as the method of choice for many travelling anglers: speed jigging. The backbone of speed jigging was a short and very powerful rod, matched with a high-speed retrieve reel loaded with braided line. But it was the jigs that initially caught the eye of most anglers. Rather than being fitted with a, then standard, treble hook, these beautifully crafted lures were rigged with either a single or pair of ‘assist hooks.’ Assist hooks are very strong, very sharp, short shank hooks which are attached at the top of the lure via a length of braided tubing so that they dangle approximately midway along the length of…

REVIEW Lots of anglers ask me which fluorocarbon is the best, and I am still trying to figure out a definitive answer. The vague response would be whichever brand you can rely on. I know that doesn’t seem entirely helpful, but my own meandering experience, through trial and error, has led me to certain conclusions. Does spending the most mean a pleasing result? Not necessarily. However, with fluorocarbon, I do believe spending more gives you better quality and better reliability. Obviously, we are not all millionaires; we can’t afford to shell out a king’s ransom of cash for our everyday shore fishing. It simply isn’t economical, and some of the prices on the market seem insane. Back in 1971, Kureha pioneered and developed fluorocarbon line (PVDF) and promptly launched Seaguar.…

The Flemish Eye, also known as the Offshore Loop knot, is used to create a reinforced loop in mono line. The loop creates a super strong connection and allows the lure, hook or swivel to move freely when using a heavy mono leader. Below we show you two versions of the Flemish Eye: one tied with a figure of 8 and the other finished with a crimp for ultra-heavy mono line where the figure of 8 might not be suitable. FIGURE OF 8 Step-by-step 1. Pass the mono leader through the eye of the hook or swivel. Pass the line back with an overhand knot creating a loop. Next pass the tag end of the line back through the same eye of the hook or swivel before creating a second…

Long gone are the days when anglers would adopt the widespread practice of paying Celtic witches to bring forth favourable winds to help them improve their catch rates. Better still were the more “honest” witches of Lapland who were apparently cheaper and more skilled in this craft. Although this Middle Age practice has long fallen by the wayside we have inherited a traditional belief that many anglers claim contains a universal truth, and which works better for them than the sophisticated weather prediction techniques we have available today. This tradition comes in the form of the proverb “The Wind from the West” (see below). We all link our fishing success (or not!) to the wind and weather conditions according to our individual perception of it and how it has affected…

YOUR FISHING CATCHES HOW TO ENTER Email only to sa.ed@kelsey.co.uk Please supply these details: angler’s name, age, address, telephone number, email, type of FISH, weight of FISH, where caught, DATE caught, BAIT/rig, whether caught from shore or boat, if from charter boat, give name of boat, port and skipper. Please state if the FISH was retained or returned. Send us your entries and win some great prizes ■ SHORE LURE OPTION: Solaris 4000 or 5000 reel, RRP: £60, Epixor 15-50g rod RRP: £80 ■ SHORE LURE OPTION: Solaris 4000 or 5000 reel, RRP: £60, Epixor 15-50g rod RRP: £80 ■ BOAT: Classic CLX, RRP: £60 Cortez Boat Rod, RRP: £90 ■ SHORE BAIT OPTION: DSA reel RRP: £60, Wave Power surf rod, RRP: £80 YOUR TARGETS... Catch a FISH on…

Recent scientific assessments of pollack stocks, along with observations by anglers, have suggested a concerning decline and a noticeable reduction in large fish. This led to charter skippers and anglers in the South West to take action by instigating a collaboration with scientists via what is called a Fisheries Industry Science Partnership (FISP) to ensure the sustainable use of pollack stocks and to better understand the population. This research is led by the University of Plymouth in collaboration with the Professional Boatman’s Association, the Angling Trust and the University of York, with support from Cefas – the government’s scientific fisheries research agency. The aim of the partnership was to leverage the importance of recreational angling knowledge and safeguard the future of this vitally important fish. The anticipation rises as a…

Team Squidward embarked on an epic journey to Cardiff for the 46th Open Cod Competition. We hit the road with Squidward and our buddy Will Parkinson with his boat SmartFish, cruising in convoy for a three-hour drive filled with anticipation. Penarth Marina, in Cardiff, welcomed us with open arms, offering complimentary launch and berthing. After slipping our boats into the water we enjoyed a fantastic meal at the impressive clubhouse overlooking the bay, gearing up for a Saturday morning practice fishing session. PRACTICE DAY Navigating unfamiliar waters, we relied on our trusty HDS Lowrance equipment, using Navionics Relief Shading (a priceless tool) and our Down Scan Sonar to scout the perfect fishing spots. Saturday’s weather was a dream, and despite a few hiccups with tides and wrecks, we explored different…

MATCH FISHING LEADER BOARD AS OF NOVEMBER 19TH 2023 HOW IT WORKS ■ With £10,000 in tackle prizes the points, based on entries, are awarded to the top three plus section winners and captors of the largest fish caught in each designated Penn match. Penn also awards a prize of a Spinfisher fixed-spool reel to the angler scoring the most points in matches shown in each issue. If there is a tie, the winner will be the angler whose total is from the greatest number of results and is then chosen on merit by the editor. An angler can win only one reel during the year. To win a prize you must be registered with the Penn Sea League – supply your name, address, phone and email. Send fixtures, results…

SHORE HUSS Although an all year round catch, it’s the post-Christmas period, especially January, that consistently produces the bigger huss, especially from the deeper rock ledges with a depth of at least 20-feet, but 30-feet plus will give the better fishing. TIDE TALK Huss are not lovers of fast flowing tides, so off the deep-water rock ledges we need to target the smaller neap to middle sized tides when the tidal flow is less fast. These tides fall between the 2nd to the 9th January, and again from the 19th to the 23rd. You can tighten the best days to the 6th to the 9th and then the 22nd and the 23rd. These latter dates are rising tides after the lowest neap tide of the cycle and though huss will…

In association with £25 TACKLE VOUCHER WINNERS Fishingmegastore.com awards a £25 voucher prize to each of two winners - the youngster with the best shore fish and another with the top boat catch. The winners can use the voucher to select tackle from Fishingmegastore.com which is based in Glasgow and Edinburgh. ■ Send your Young Rods entries by email to sa.ed@kelsey.co.uk…

Field of Dreams is a 1989 American sports fantasy drama starring Kevin Costner as Ray Kinsella, a struggling farmer from Dyersville, Iowa. A devoted baseball fan, Kinsella fears growing old without achieving anything and while walking through his cornfield one evening he hears a voice whispering, “If you build it, he will come.” He sees a vision of a baseball diamond in the cornfield, along with the ghost of legendary Chicago White Sox outfielder ‘Shoeless Joe Jackson’ standing in the middle. Believing in him, and despite the risk of financial hardship, his wife, Annie, lets him plow under part of their corn crop to build a baseball field. At first nothing happens but eventually Kinsella’s patience and faith pay off, when the newly created baseball field attracts the ghosts of…

One of the most important bits of kit we use, whether on a kayak or a boat, is the fishfinder and Railblaza have a range of products specifically designed to mount fishfinders and accessories. Quite often boaters like to have fishfinders mounted in places where they can see the readout, or want a second unit mounted on the transom or elsewhere. Similarly, kayakers need to have their unit mounted in a visible position but out of the way of rods and tackle boxes. The Hexx range is designed to address this. THE HEXX ROTATING PLATFORM This gadget is solid, lightweight and removable and takes fishfinders up to around 5kg – it’s also compatible with most of the major electronics manufacturers including Raymarine, Garmin, Humminbird and Lowrance. What they call the…

In the unassuming town of Washington, Tyne and Wear, there are some truly revolutionary products being crafted on a regular basis. The family-operated business, Century Composites, are behind the design and implementation of some of the very finest fishing rods on the market today. They are also involved in aerospace, F1 and helicopter blades. So, what does all this mean to me, the average angler? Well, I have a feeling of the utmost confidence when using one of Century’s fishing rods. I know that they are passionate about the quality of their products. Quality and consistency are of the paramount importance. All of the work is done in-house in the UK, including rolling the blanks. One such rod that fills me with complete confidence is the new offering: the Fireblade…

Tony Kirrage is a well know name on the South Coast – and in wider sea angling circles. He is a successful match angler and has won numerous shore angling competitions at home and abroad and recently published an autobiography, Sea Match Fishing. Tony started his business in Eastbourne in the 1970s. I can remember going there as a young lad to buy bait and tackle when I started fishing on the beaches on Eastbourne. In an environment where tackle shops are really struggling, Tony has successfully maintained his business serving coarse, sea and game anglers across the region, despite some well documented issues along the way, as he adapted to the changing tackle business. In time he became a major UK tackle dealer and pioneered mail order tackle. His…